Supporters of Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Senator Tommy Turnquest along with some FNM Action Group members Attack Hubert Ingraham

FNMs Attack Ingraham

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

October 10, 2005

Supporters of Free National Movement Leader Senator Tommy Turnquest, including some members of the FNM Action Group, have launched what has amounted to a campaign to block the return of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham as leader of the party.

"Hubert Ingraham ‐ you are still the most hated man in this country and the people will remind you of it if you go back on your word and challenge Tommy Turnquest as leader," said a letter forwarded to the press by supporters of Senator Turnquest over the weekend.

The scathing letter blames Mr. Ingraham for certain "failures", but does not acknowledge that Senator Turnquest was also a part of the Cabinet when those alleged failures occurred.

The letter came more than a week after FNM MP's secured the support of the party's Central Council to have Mr. Ingraham replace Alvin Smith as the FNM's parliamentary leader.

The vote has resulted in a fierce internal battle in the party as observers wait to see if Mr. Smith will resign as leader of the Official Opposition.

Oswald Marshall, chairman of the Action Group, who commented on the matter on Saturday, said he doubts Mr. Ingraham will become the parliamentary leader.

"I don't expect Ingraham [to return]," Mr. Marshall added. "They had some kind of idea that they would push Ingraham to the front of the party by getting him to take over leadership (in the House).  I think they polluted that process and I understand that he is not doing that anymore.  The council members [who voted against the move] felt that this was a prelude to Ingraham taking over the party."

The letter from Senator Turnquest's supporters reminds council members who supported Mr. Ingraham's return that it was the former prime minister "who botched the referendum" in 2002.

The letter continues: "It was Hubert Ingraham that promoted and left PLP's in office while you the FNM controlled the government.

"It was Hubert Ingraham that destroyed the financial services sector through the enactment of ill-advised legislation;

"It was Hubert Ingraham that bludgeoned Batelco by giving packages to existing management and staff who were performing and performing well; "It was Hubert Ingraham that had all of the major unions up in arms through his policies and action;

"It was Hubert Ingraham who expelled senior men in the FNM who had been with the party way before he was on the scene."

The letter says, "Men such as Tennyson Wells and Pierre Dupuch, loyal supporters of ideals of the party, were discarded by Hubert Ingraham."

Although it was a claim former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson denied when he appeared on the Love 97 programme, "Jones and Company" just over a week ago.

Supporters of Senator Turnquest also accused Mr. Ingraham of operating "on his own terms without regard to his ministers."

The letter also accused the former prime minister of doing as he wished without reference to the concerns of the Bahamian electorate.

"He did not listen and the people just as they fell in love with him in 1992 and 1997 - hated him in 2002 and consequently voted the FNM out.  That is why we lost by the margins we did, it said."

The letter added, "Now Mr. Ingraham seeks to use the FNM once more for his own selfish gain by sending his hatchet men such as Frank Watson, Hubert Minnis, Brent Symonette and those less than men parliamentarians to say the party needs him.

"No way, do we need Hubert Ingraham to lead this party.  We have a leader of our own; one bred in the party - who paid his dues and has risen to the leadership position."

The letter continues, "We have reached an important milestone in the FNM when history will judge our actions as we prepare for the election in 2006 or 2007.  Do we [want to] embrace a new leader who will take care of FNM's in a fair way or do we bring back a rejected man?

"Tommy Turnquest may not be perfect in everyone's eye, but he is 100 percent FNM."

When he spoke with The Bahama Journal on Thursday, Senator Turnquest said he had "no idea" whether Mr. Ingraham will become the new parliamentary leader as the other FNM MP's wish.

But he reiterated that the former prime minister has assured him that he has no plans to again seek the leadership post of the FNM. 

Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Tommy Turnquest says that He is Not Troubled by Opposition within or outside His Party

Tommy On Defensive

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

27 April 2005

Amid reports that he is facing fierce opposition from within his own party, Free National Movement Leader Tommy Turnquest called a press conference on Tuesday to reassure FNM's that all is well in the party.

Mr. Turnquest told reporters that he is confident that he has the full support of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and that as far as he is aware Mr. Ingraham, despite reports, is not interested in returning as leader of the party.

"We in the FNM will not allow our political opponents to capitalize on make-believe issues in our party," said Mr. Turnquest, who added that he is not troubled by opposition within or outside his party.

"They want desperately to take the focus off their incompetence, ineffectiveness and inefficiency.  We must continue to reveal their total ineptitude as a government.  The old, pompous, all-for-me nature of the PLP is back and we must resolve to rid our country of this rudderless, incompetent and unfocused government.  This is the focus of the FNM ‐ nothing more, nothing less."

The FNM leader called the press conference to respond to a Bahama Journal article published on Monday under the headline "FNM's Want Tommy Out."

That story revealed that an advisory council of the party headed by former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson has advised Mr. Turnquest that there are many FNM's who want him out and Mr. Ingraham back in as leader.

On Tuesday, Mr. Turnquest refused to discuss the findings of the advisory council with reporters, saying that, "It is unfortunate that some people seem to have taken [the appointment of the council] as a sign of crisis in leadership in our party."

He said, "As the duly elected leader of the FNM, I am working to ready our party to compete fiercely in the next general election.  On a daily basis, I am meeting with persons who have expressed a desire to be an FNM candidate in the next election, a process I hope to complete very soon so that we might begin to put them in place."

Mr. Turnquest also urged party supporters to "be strong so we may finish strong."

"The work that we must do is crucial," he said.  "Our nation is in the hands of incompetent drifters.  They have failed to live up to many of their promises.  Our people are hurting.  Our country is directionless.  We are being misled by those who govern us.  They are working to enrich themselves, their families and their cronies."

Mr. Turnquest was flanked by his deputy, Sidney Collie; FNM Chairman Carl Bethel; Montagu MP Brent Symonette; Senator Tanya McCartney; and Loretta Butler Turner, who was a candidate in the last general election.

Leader of the Official Opposition Alvin Smith and a handful of FNM supporters also showed up to support the FNM leader.

There was, however, no member of the advisory council present at the press conference.

On Monday, former FNM Cabinet Minister Tennyson Wells, now an independent MP, told The Bahama Journal that the fact that Mr. Turnquest had to appoint that council indicates that the party is in "disarray."

But Mr. Turnquest said the FNM has never been more united.

When asked whether he had an image problem, he said that he had no idea what it means to have an image problem.

Mr. Wells has said that the key problem with Mr. Turnquest is his image and that the very people who supported his bid for leadership in 2000 are the ones trying to overthrow him as leader.

Former Cabinet Minister Algernon Allen, meanwhile, said that there was treachery afoot.

Mr. Turnquest dismissed those statements.

"In May 2002, I sat at this very table and offered my resignation to the highest authority in his party," Mr. Turnquest said at the press conference at FNM headquarters.  "I was asked to remain until the next national convention which I did.  I then offered myself for leadership and I was elected as leader.

"I really can do no more than that, but if I continue to look over my shoulder or behind my back, I'd be constantly focused on that rather the real prize which is ahead and that is defeating the PLP and making sure that we return this country back to where it ought to be."